Feelings That Cannot Be Met
by EmLovesYouu
Summary: FINAL CHAPTER UP! My take on what SHOULD have happened after Marcus and Grace got out of the mine shaft in season 8, episode 2. Please Read&Review :
1. Dreams

**This is my first McLeod's FanFic; hope you like it.**

**This is a different take on what could have happened in episode 2 season 8, when Grace and Marcus got stuck in a mine shaft.**

**Enjoy! **

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_The cold was too much to handle. It crept up her body like rising water. Her clothes were soaked from the water-covered ground. Metres under the ground, she couldn't tell how much time had passed, but it had felt like they'd been there for an eternity. Her many layers of damp clothing felt like they were suffocating her. They were too heavy on her shoulders. She had to get them off. She had to free herself._

_Shakily getting to her feet, she began to tug at the buttons on the jacket he'd wrapped around her. Finally freeing herself from the heavy jacket, she began lifting the bottom of her sweater up hurriedly._

_She was stopped abruptly when his large hands, warm against her frozen wrists, grasped her and prohibited her from removing any more clothing._

"_Let go!" she screamed, struggling against his hold._

"_No, Grace! You'll freeze! Please, Grace," he pleaded with her; so lovingly that she could do nothing else but obey._

_Her body going limp, she gazed up into his loving eyes and asked longingly, "Marcus, why can't you love me?"_

"_I do."_

Awoken by a noise outside, Grace sat up in bed.

Looking over at her clock, she sighed and collapsed back onto her bed. It was only 1.37am.

She couldn't keep doing this; reliving those moments in that cold and dark mine shaft. But that's the thing; she was not reliving it in a true sense. Yes, it had been deathly cold. Yes, she had felt suffocated. Yes, she had practically confessed her love to him; but Marcus had not declared his love in return. He did not declare his love to her, because it was non-existent. He was with Ingrid; sort of.

Over at Killarney, Marcus woke with a start, after having a very similar dream to the one of Grace's.

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**I will try to update soon.**

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	2. Things Going Weird

**Hope you like this next part.**

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"Did you stay up partying after we all went to bed last night, Grace?" Moira asked Grace jokingly, who was falling asleep whilst buttering her toast.

"What? No, I was just restless," Grace yawned.

It was a very restless night indeed. That one dream had only been the beginning of a very long sleepless night. Each dream picking up where the first had left off; all possible ways it could have turned out. All possible, _wonderful_ ways it could have turned out.

"Grace, one of the sheers is broken. We need that mob from Skinny Jims sheered by Thursday morning," Stevie welcomed as she walked in the dining room. "Do you reckon you could pop over to Killarney and ask Marcus if we can borrow one of theirs?"

Heart faltering, Grace replied, "umm.... I was actually doing a boundary fence check today. Get Tayler to go over; she'd probably go over to see Patrick today anyway."

"Hmm.... yeah. Could you go pick up a sheer from Killarney, Tayler?!" Stevie called out to Tayler, who was currently in the kitchen making coffee.

"Yeah!" she called back.

With that, Stevie left to start yarding the sheep, and Moira cleaned up breakfast.

"So...?" Kate pried, once everyone but Grace had left the room. "Why are you avoiding Marcus? Did you two have an argument down in the shaft, or something?"

"No," Grace said, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing like that. I just have to do a boundary check, that's all."

"If you say so," Kate smirked.

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"What's got you knickers in a twist?" Patrick joked, after they spent breakfast in complete silence, Marcus looking broody. "Did you have _naughty_ dreams last night?"

"Nothing. What makes you think you can just assume something like that?" Marcus snapped. "Isn't a guy allowed to have a bad night sleep these days?"

Patrick went silent.

"Look, mate. I'm sorry," Marcus apologised, "I just had a restless night. I'm tired."

"That's weird!" Tayler said as she walked into the Killarney kitchen.

"What's weird?" Marcus asked.

"Hey Tayler. I didn't know you were coming over," Patrick smiled, scooping his girlfriend into a hug.

"What's weird, Tayler?" Marcus asked eagerly.

"Well, we need to get a mob of sheep sheered by Thursday morning and one of our sheers carked it this morning. Could we borro-"

"Tayler, what was weird?!" Marcus raised his voiced.

Patrick and Tayler were taken aback at Marcus' anger.

After Patrick whispered _bad night sleep_ to Tayler, Tayler answered, "I just thought it was weird that you had a really restless night. Grace did as well. She practically fell asleep at breakfast this morning."

_Was Grace having the same sort of dreams as me? _Marcus thought hopefully, as he walked out to the shed to get the sheer. _No, she couldn't. She doesn't like me like that. Stupid idea._

But for some reason, Marcus couldn't shake the thought that Grace had had a restless night the same night he'd been having dreams about the two of them together. He had to find out.

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**I'll try to update soon. **

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	3. Confessions

**Thankyou for all the reviews; they're so supportive and seriously make my day. If anyone has any ideas or things they want to happen, you can just leave any ideas at the end of reviews and I'll try to mix them in somehow.**

**Some parts are from the past/memories.**

**Enjoy !**

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"You're kidding me, right?" Patrick asked, eyes wide.

"Nope," Kate replied, taking a bite from her sandwich.

"But.... He never mentioned anything. Are you sure you heard him right?" Patrick couldn't believe it.

"I'm certain. He was yelling very loud and clear," Kate said.

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_**EARLIER THAT DAY.**_

"One _working_ sheer, as asked," Marcus said proudly, handing Stevie one of Killarney's sheers.

"Thanks, Marcus. You're a life saver," Stevie thanked, walking to the sheering shed.

"Do you need a hand?" Marcus offered with a smile. "I haven't got anything on today."

"Only if you're sure," Stevie accepted.

After only a small amount of the sheep had been sheered, Marcus cracked it when his sheer clipped one of the sheep's skin and it started bleeding.

"Crap!" Marcus exclaimed angrily.

Turning off the sheer, Marcus pushed the sheep out into the yard and returned still in a bad temper. Taking a mouthful from his canteen, his hand slipped and he spilt water all down his front.

Frustrated, Marcus got to his feet, muttering, "stuff it!"

Sitting against the shed, he leant his head against the wall. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself down; with no success. Every time he stopped to think, the image of Grace popped into his head, further frustrating himself.

Stevie stepped outside and stood in front of him with her hands resting on top of her largely pregnant belly; as if waiting for an explanation. He couldn't give her an explanation though, because he didn't even have one for himself.

"What?" Marcus sighed.

"What?! That's what I should be asking you," she truthfully said. "What's up, Marcus? You're not the sorta guy who cracks it and leaves at a tiny glitch."

"Like I told Patrick and Tayler, I just had a restless night. Let's get back to work then, shall we?" Marcus said, avoiding the subject.

Stevie put a hand up to stop him. "Nuh-uh! When I agreed to let you help, I didn't realise you were in such a bad mood. Go sort out whatever happened with Grace so we can all go back to normal."

If he hadn't still been breathing, Marcus could've sworn his heart just stopped beating. "Grace and I are fine. I don't know where you got that idea, but it's – where did you get that idea?" Marcus asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Hmm.... I dunno? Maybe from the fact that you and Grace both had restless nights and become all defensive and change the subject whenever someone mentions anything about the two of you; and I will not let you work with _my_ sheep until you sort out everything with Grace. Got it?" Stevie asked firmly.

Marcus nodded but still didn't move.

Noticing Marcus' lack of movement, Stevie said, "she's in the north-boundary paddock."

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"Hey, McLeod!" Marcus called out to Grace who was watering down the horses.

"Oh, um.... hey, Marcus. I'd love to stay and chat but I have stuff to do," Grace said, avoiding eye contact.

"You've had stuff to do all morning; don't you deserve a break. I've been trying to find you but you always seem to have just left to go and do another job," Marcus said, noticing Grace's edginess.

"Just busy, that's all," Grace lied. "Well, I'll be off."

"Grace," Marcus said softly, grabbing her wrist and turning her to face him. Their proximity was so overwhelming; Marcus had to push this aside and tell her the truth. "I need to talk to you about something."

Grace didn't want to talk; not with Marcus, not right now. So she did what she did best; avoided the subject.

"If it's about Jim's cattle, we're not holding any grudges that you got in their first. We found another mob anyway," nodding, Grace turned away from Marcus, only to once again get her wrist caught and be pulled even closer to the person she had been trying so very hard to avoid. "I can't do this, Marcus!" she snapped, pulling away.

"Why not?! You've been avoiding me from the moment we got out of the shaft!"

Grace sighed, knowing how true his accusations were. "Just forget it, Marcus! Forget everything I said down there. You're with Ingrid, so forget it!" she yelled.

Both Grace and Marcus fell silent as Kate walked past with a wheelbarrow full of rocks.

"I'm not with Ingrid, Grace," he admitted, taking Grace's hands in his, "if I wanted to be with her, I would be; truly, I would. But that's the thing, Grace, I _don't_ want to be with her."

"Why are you here, Marcus?" Grace whispered, painfully looking into his eyes.

"Because I'm sick of you avoiding me! I'm sick of everyone thinking we've had a fight; because we haven't! I'm sick of everyone _assuming_ that I'm with Ingrid!" Marcus took a deep breath, "I'm sick of hiding the fact that I am, and have been for a while, in love with you, Grace McLeod!"

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**I absolutely loved this last scene; hope you do too.**

**I'll try to update soon.**

**Please Read&Review and make my day **


	4. Whiplash

**Thankyou for all the wonderful reviews! **

**I know its short but I'll update soon.**

**Read&Review&Enjoy !!!**

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He had said it. He had finally said it. After all this time. After everything; everything that'd happened with Heath, and then the shaft. The moments, those dreaded moments, that had happened down in the shaft weren't so dreaded after all. They were a blessing now. They'd pushed Grace over the edge and finally let her open up. To the agony and need that had been building up inside her for such a very long time. Those thoughts that she'd revealed had led Marcus to the realisation that he loved her. The ecstasy he'd felt when Grace had begged him to love her, only proved his feelings true. He had found his match. Grace McLeod, the stubborn and arrogant woman who he had only recently hated for making him feel like this, had turned his hate into pure love. So he had said it. And it had felt amazing. He had finally said it.

"I love you. So, so much!" Marcus admitted, a glowing smile planted on his lips.

Grace just stood there. Too shocked to move. To overwhelmed with emotion to do or say anything.

"Marcus, wait.... what?" Grace said, confusion turning to more confusion.

"Grace, I love you! That is definitely what I should have said down in the shaft. I'm an idiot to not have told you sooner, but it's true," Marcus beamed.

"What – why would you do this to me?" Grace asked offended.

Now Marcus was the one who was confused.

"Grace, I just told you I love you. How am I doing anything to you? I thought you felt the same..." Marcus' head was spinning.

"You, of all people, know how painful it was for me when Heath cheated; he may as well have dumped me publicly or in a room full of people and it would have been less painful, and embarrassing." Grace sat down on a log. "I won't go through that again! At least Heath is gone! But you, no matter how it happens, I will be broken! I will be in pain! But it won't have any chance of getting better! 'Cause you'll be there, all the time! You're my neighbour! You're practically family! I'm sorry, but I can't do this!" Grace stood up and stormed off, wiping tears from her crying eyes.

"Grace, wait!" Marcus called desperately.

She didn't wait.

"I would never, ever-" Grace disappeared around the corner and Marcus' voice turned to a whisper, "hurt you."

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**I know you probably hate me for doing this but I promise you wont be disappointed.**

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	5. Freaking Out

**Sorry bout the long wait but I've been real busy. BTW, for anyone who's interested, I saw 2012 the other day and it is absolutely MAD!**

**Please Read**&**Review**&**Enjoy !!!**

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"Don't you think if I knew what I wanted I wouldn't be here right now asking for your help?" Grace snapped. "God, you can be thick sometimes, Regan!"

"Excuse me?" Regan retorted.

"It's true, though. Even in school," Grace pointed out.

Regan's mouth dropped open, angry expressed on her face, "you have gotta let it go, Grace. So I was maybe a bit of a ditz in school, but who gives?"

Grace snorted, "hmm.... um, maybe every single friend you had in primary; in particular, Rosie Walker."

"You bitch! You did _not_ just mention Rosie Walker!" Regan got to her feet, pointing threateningly at Grace.

Giggling quietly to herself, Grace replied, "no. But.... she _did_ make you get a month's worth of detention in Year 3, when you believed what she said about being popular if you stole all the paintbrushes from the art supply cabinet. I bet all along you knew she was mucking about and would never let you hang out with her; Rosie was someone who would only hang out with someone like Jaz."

"Okay, shut up! We're talking 'bout you here.... not me!" Regan brought back the original subject. "Why did you run away from Marcus?"

Grace ran her dirt-covered hands through her messy bronze hair and said, "cause I was scared.... scared of being hurt again.... scared of losing someone again...."

Wrapping her arm around her sisters' shoulder, Regan reassured her, "Marcus would never, ever hurt you _or_ leave you. He's in love with you, Grace. He shouted it out, not caring if anyone else heard him, because he _wants_ everyone one to know that he loves you. Why don't you want that?"

"I'm an idiot! He probably thinks I'm a freak and then he'll never speak to me again. Oh my god, what have I done, Regan? I'm gonna end up an old lonely prune. And I'll be the only one to blame. Because of my stupid scaredness, I'm gonna end up an old lonely prune with hundreds of cats. And I really hate cats!" Grace began hyperventilating and had to hold onto a large tree branch to keep herself upright.

"Geez, Grace! Calm down!" Regan said, soothingly, rubbing circles on her back. "Now listen to me! You are gonna go back to Marcus and tell him how _you_ feel; and don't let _anyone_ get in your way!"

Standing up to her full height and raising her chin, Grace marched away from the main house to the horse yards to saddle up.

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_She hates me. I really thought she loved me, but, I can just _tell_ that she hates me, _Marcus' thoughts ran amok once more.

"Hey, Marcus!" Patrick called from the other side of the fence. "What's with the thinking face? You havin' an epiphany?"

"No, you idiot! I just ruined practically every chance I ever had of being with the love of my life. I screwed it up! I went down too hard, too fast. She probably thinks that I'm a freak. Now I'll probably end up a grumpy old lonely grandpa who's only love is his cattle; with no heart, no friends. What the hell am I gonna do, Marcus?"

_Gosh, I didn't realise Marcus had fallen for Ingrid that hard already_, Patrick wondered, confused by Marcus' new revelation.

"Umm.... maybe just talk to her. I know, pretend one of the cows is hurt and call her and she'll _have_ to come over!" Patrick suggested, which in his opinion, was one of the best suggestions he'd made in the love-life advice area.

"What? No, she doesn't give a damn about my cows," Marcus said grumpily.

"Well, it's business. It's not really about whether she likes them or not. I know, how about.... maybe you could.... umm.... nahh, sorry mate, that was my only good idea."

"Hmph!" Marcus huffed.

Patrick said, "just go up to her and say, _Hi, I'm sorry about before if you don't feel the same way. I don't want this to get between our friendship and I still want you to come and treat my cattle an-_"

"What?! Who the hell are you talking about? Marcus asked confused.

"Huh? Who are you talking bout?" Patrick asked, confused also.

"Grace. Who else would I be talking about?" Marcus asked.

"Grace?! Oh, um.... no-one," Patrick lied, embarrassed at his miscalculation and shocked at Marcus' confession.

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**I really loved these two scenes; with both Grace n Marcus freakin' out!**

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	6. The Mission

**Hope you enjoy **

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Her eyes were set on her goal; the Killarney house. Her mission of sneaking into the homestead and leaving the note for Marcus somewhere where he'll find it and leave without being seen, would've been a whole lot easier if Killarney wasn't so damned big.

"_I mean, seriously, Marcus is a sheep and cattle farmer_," Grace thought, examining which way she could go about this, "_what sheep and cattle farmer has twenty square metres of roses in his driveway?"_

Deciding on the James Bond, secret agent-type technique, Grace hid behind the large Oak tree to the left of the drive. The Oak was surrounded by hydrangeas, or some other flower, which were making Grace's legs _really_ itchy. Concentrating on scratching her legs so much, to relieve her sudden uncontrollable itch, Grace did not notice Marcus leave the work shed and enter the main house via the kitchen/dining room door. Grace running from one Oak tree to the next would've been a very funny sight to an outsider. Grace had always wanted to be a secret agent. She imagined it would give you much more of a thrill than mustering cattle, sheering sheep and mucking out horse stables. But she never imagined that in her first _James Bond_ experience she would be hobbling and pausing every few metres due to the fact that her legs were beginning to show little red spots and were crazily itchy.

Finally Grace reached the house, with only a single graze on her right elbow, and snuck into the homestead, stumbling on the steps and knocking over a pot plant; not as graceful and silent as she'd have hoped.

"_No one is here, so it doesn't matter if I make a bit of noi_-", Grace was thinking before her thoughts were interrupted.

"Grace?" Marcus asked, his mouth full of muffin, when he walked into _his_ kitchen and saw Grace standing at _his_ sink. "What are you doing in my kitchen?"

"_Crap!"_ Grace thought. "I was, umm, borrowing some sugar."

"Sugar? Why do you need _sugar_?" Marcus asked, really confused, but pleased that Grace was at least talking to him.

"Moira. Moira is making a cake and we have no sugar," Grace babbled, secretly taking her note out of her back pocket and slipping it into the cutlery drawer. "Well, I best be going-"

"I thought you needed sugar?" Marcus pointed out as Grace began to leave the kitchen empty-handed.

"You're out. Bye."

Marcus stood frozen looking at his kitchen doorway for at least a minute after Grace had left. Searching through his cupboards, Marcus found his sugar container, which was full to the brim, and could tell that no way in hell had Grace actually found his sugar container. Turning around, Marcus noticed a corner of yellow paper sticking out of one of his drawers. Opening the drawer, he unfolded the small piece of paper and read:

_I think Rocky is in need of a visit. Grace._

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	7. Too Late

**Apologies that its been so long..... i've been away at the beach and have been so busy i haven't had a chance to write.**

**Please Read**&**Review**&**Enjoy!!!!!**

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"Why did I choose _today_ to let Rocky graze in the North-East Boundary paddock?" Marcus muttered to himself as he kick-started his motorbike and sped out of the shed, only missing Patrick by a few inches and leaving a trail of flying dust behind him. "What is Grace _up_ to?"

Speeding towards whatever was waiting for him in Rocky's paddock, Marcus tried to sift through his mind and find anything that might at least hint him to what Grace was up to; he came up blank. He didn't know whether to expect something extravagant and large or something small or nothing at all. For all he knows, Grace could've just thought that it would be nice for Marcus to give Rocky a visit. Who knew what was running through her mind?

Slowing down as he approached Rocky, it appeared there wasn't anything waiting for him; not even another note. Despair washed through his veins as the realisation set in. Grace had, in fact, just thought it would be nice for Rocky to have him visit. After all, she had made it perfectly clear she didn't want to be with him and why should that suddenly change.

_I'm an idiot,_ Marcus thought as he dismounted his bike, gave Rocky a pat and sat down in the shade of a huge tree.

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"Tayler, normally I would be more than happy – well not really happy, but willing – to help you out with the goats but I _need_ to be somewhere _right now_! Just go ask someone else! I just _can't_ be late!" Grace raised her voice unnecessarily when Tayler innocently asked Grace's opinion on how to deal with the kicking goat.

Tayler screwed up her nose as she sat down in the kitchen to make a sandwich and muttered, "I was just _asking_, no need to bite my head off."

Oblivious to the fact she had hurt Tayler's feelings, Grace rushed out of the room without a second glance and was soon rummaging through the dining room drawers for the nice cutlery. Giving up and just taking the crappy old knives and forks after only a few seconds, she ran out of the house and chucked the cutlery in the basket in the back of the ute. Covering the basket with a sheet of tarp, Grace jumped in the driver's seat and sped off through the gate into the paddock and drove cross-country toward Killarney's North-East Boundary Paddock.

Approaching the paddock, Grace bit down on her lip – a little too hard – and prayed that he wasn't there yet.

But he was.

Grace slowed the car to a less ridiculous speed and watched Marcus look up at her quizzically as she pulled the gear into Park and stepped out of the car.

"Grace? What's going on? I'm real confused," Marcus admitted, shaking his head.

"You weren't supposed to be her yet," Grace sighed. "You weren't supposed to find the note that quickly, let alone race here as soon as you could. You were probably here before I even got back to Drover's. It wasn't supposed to work out like this. I stuffed it up."

"What did you stuff up, anyway?"

"Marcus," Grace said, looking deep into his eyes. "I came here to apologise. And to tell you – to tell you – that I love you, too."

Marcus beamed such a smile that Grace couldn't help but reciprocate. Stepping towards Marcus in an obvious gesture to kiss him, Grace smiled, knowing she was finally getting her prize.

Grace's vision blurred a little and her head felt heavy only seconds before she blacked out and fell to the dusty ground.

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	8. Blacked Out

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and please **_**review**_**.**

**DEDICATION: The rest of this story is dedicated to Jess (devotedtoclois), because she dedicated one of her stories to me so I've decided to return the favour. Also because she has never seen McLeod's Daughters but still reads and reviews every time I update. Love you xxxxx**

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_A FEW MINUTES EARLIER_

"Well, Rocky, seeing as I'm up here anyway, how 'bout we go for a ride, buddy?" Marcus tried to sound enthusiastic; but for what audience? There was no audience. _He_ was his audience. "Nah I'm not in the mood to ride either."

He had all but given up hoping that in some whacko dimension of the Earth, a miracle would happen. That Grace _would_ show up. That the note wasn't just a joke after all.

That's when he heard it.

That's when he saw it.

Heard the rumbling of the old Drover's ute.

Saw the dust flying up just over the other side of the hill.

That's when his heart stopped.

And when it restarted again.

As the car came into view, it slowed down; quieting the rumble and letting the majority of the flying dust settle.

Standing up, Marcus asked Grace the question he'd been dying to ask, "Grace? What's going on? I'm real confused."

Grace got out of the car as he said this and her shoulders slouched as she sighed and said, "you weren't supposed to be here yet," and, "I stuffed it up." Although she mumbled a few sentences in between which were completely incoherent to Marcus.

Marcus needed to know. He was itching to know what she meant. "What did you stuff up, anyway?"

"Marcus," she said, with a look in her eyes so meaningful and passionate his heart jumped. "I came here to apologise. And to tell you – to tell you – that I love you, too."

A smile snapped onto Marcus' face in the split seconds those last four words were spoken. She returned his smile and was soon closing the space, which all of a sudden seemed like such a distance, between them.

He almost had her in his arms, finally; when her eyelids fluttered and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her body went limp and fell to the ground, disturbing the dust debris.

"Grace!" Marcus screamed, skidding onto his knees to her side.

His hands felt her neck, her wrists, anything to find a pulse. At first there was nothing and Marcus tear ducts began leaking soft salt tears. But then faintly, very faintly, he could feel a tiny rhythm under his two fingertips.

"Oh, thank God!" Marcus all but screamed, when her fingers twitched between his two clammy hands.

Soon after, her eyelids flutter a little and open; but only for a second before they shut again.

"Grace? Stay with me, now. I'll get you some help, okay?" Marcus reassured her unconscious figure, hoping, praying that she could still hear him.

Wrapping one arm behind her waist and the other under her legs, Marcus hoisted her off the ground, cradling her body in his arms. Her head lolled around as he half-ran to the ute and layed her down softly across the back seat. Jumping into the driver's seat, he turned the key in the ignition and stomped down hard on the accelerator.

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"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" a polite nurse at the hospital asked when he came running into the ER with Grace's limp body in his arms.

"Yeah. She passed out on my farm and at first her eyes fluttered open a little but then she was out of it again; but she always had a pulse. I brought her back to my house and did everything I could think of – I tried giving her some water – but nothing worked, so I brought her here," Marcus puffed, recalling what had happened. "She's been out for over an hour, will she be okay? Promise me she'll be okay?"

"Sir, I can't promise anything definite, but I'm pretty sure she'll be okay. Now, tell me, is there anything she's allergic to?" the nurse asked as she laid her down on a bed and began examining her.

"Umm.....pine nuts, eggs.....and fire ants," he finished just as the nurse pulled up the leg of Grace's jeans to reveal a horrific sight.

Her pale legs were covered in large, swollen, red bite marks and there were quite a few ants scurrying over her skin. Around the swollen lumps, purple-red rashes were beginning to appear in blotches. They weren't just ants – they were fire ants.

She was having an allergic reaction.

"People _die_ from allergies!" Marcus fretted, as the realisation of the bites dawned on him.

"Sir, listen! I will _not_ let her die!"

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	9. Recovery

**Enjoy and **_**pretty please leave a review.**_

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_**6:19pm**_

"C'mon, Grace. Wake up!" Marcus whispered at Grace's bedside, her hand grasped tightly between both of his.

_**6:32pm**_

"Marcus?! How is she? What's wrong with her?" Regan almost yelled as she ran around the corner and into Grace's room. She was panting; a result of running through the hospital.

"Fire ants," Marcus said simply.

"An allergic reaction," Regan said matter-of-factly. She sighed as she sat down on the other chair. "Now we wait."

_**6:54pm**_

As the nurse popped her head in the door, she asked quietly, "any change?"

Both Regan and Marcus shook their heads.

_**7:07pm**_

"Regan?"

"Yeah?"

"When you said 'now we wait', it sounded like you've done this before." He paused. "Have you done this before?"

"Twice. Once when she was seven and again when she was almost sixteen," Regan explained; remembering the hours, which seemed like days, in which they had waited anxiously. "She'll be okay, Marcus."

_**7:18pm**_

"I'm gonna get something to eat," Regan said, breaking the silence, and stood up and stretched out her limbs, "do you want me to bring you back anything?"

He shook his head. He couldn't eat right now even if he wanted to. The nerves were eating him inside. Eating was not a good idea.

_**7:22pm**_

"Mmmm...."

Marcus' head shot up instinctively at the noise. Grace's eyelids fluttered open and Marcus' entire being was filled with joy.

_She's okay_, was his only thought.

"Oh my god, Grace. Thank god you're okay," Marcus exhaled with a loud sigh of relief. "Grace, how could you not have realised that your legs had been attacked by fire ants?"

"Your fault," she mumbled, so quietly Marcus wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly.

"What was that?"

"It's all your fault."


	10. Delusion

**Sorry it took so long. Really hope you like this chapter – I sure loved writing it. This was inspired by a request from **_HappyHereford_** so I hope you enjoy :)**

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The ecstasy he'd been feeling just a moment before, had now faded to a dim ache, as the realisation of Grace's words seeped in.

"M – my fault?" Marcus stuttered, his voice clouded with confusion.

Grace merely nodded, her eyes shut tightly.

"What did _I_ do?" Marcus asked. "I wasn't the one who got you attacked by a nest of fire ants – you did that all by yourself!" He began to feel anger creeping up a little, but was determined to not let him show. He also felt disappointment. He's waited so long, not leaving her bedside for one moment, and _finally_ when she wakes up she accuses _him_ of doing this to her.

"Fire ants?" Grace mumbled incoherently.

Marcus sighed, "yeah, Grace. Fire ants. Your legs were covered in 'em."

Opening her eyes suddenly, staring – _glaring_ – straight at Marcus. "So help me, Marcus, if I get frostbite and die, I will haunt you until you're _actually_ dead!"

Marcus stood speechless, rooted to the spot.

"Grace! You're awake!" Regan squealed, the hot coffee that was previously in her left hand was now splayed across the white-tiled hospital floor.

Regan looked back and forth between a gobsmacked Marcus and an angry-pouted Grace.

"What sort of a man are you, Marcus?" Regan asked in a higher pitched tone than usual. "The way you've been sitting there all day I'd have thought the minute she was conscious you'd be holding onto her and refuse to let her go?"

In an inaudible mumble, Marcus said, "that's what I thought too."

"And _you_!" Regan raised her voice, pointing accusingly at her sister. "Why on earth are you _allowing_ him to just _stand_ there? This is like a god damned _fairytale_, you and him. He's your very own Prince Charming!"

"More like the Dragon who's trying to eat me," Grace said under her breath, rolling her eyes. Crossing her arms across her chest, Grace turned her head and looked past Regan and out into the corridor.

Leaning in closer to Grace, Regan whispered so Marcus couldn't hear, "did you seriously just call him the _Dragon_?" Grace nodded. "As in the _princess_-eating Dragon?"

"Yes I called him a Dragon – as in the princess-eating Dragon!" Grace snapped sharply. "And I don't even _believe_ in fairytales. But still, the Dragon is still gnawing away slowly and painfully at my leg! Couldn't he hurry up and EAT ME ALREADY?!?"

"Me?! A _Dragon_?" Marcus retorted. "Why on earth am I a dragon? This morning you told me you loved me back and now I'm the monster who's causing you a slow and painful death? That doesn't add up, Grace! So, I'd like you to explain to me why I am the Dragon. Explain that to me, Grace, 'cause frankly, I don't understand what I did wrong! Did the fire ants mess with your head? How am I the bad guy when I sat by you all day, not leaving your side _once_?" Marcus sniffed back what felt like the beginning of tears. He didn't cry. He was a man – a heartbroken man, even – but still, he didn't cry.

Grace sat up straight and threw up her arms in frustration, as if the answer to the question should be so obvious. "God, Marcus! Can't you see?! It's _your_ stupid fault!"

"Stu – stupid?" Marcus stuttered.

"Stupid Marcus. Stupid Rocky. Stupid mine."

"Rocky? The mine? What on earth have they got to do with you being attacked by freakin' fire ants?" Marcus asked, impatient.

Grace sighed heavily and rolled her eyes again, not being as subtle as the time before. "If I wasn't helping you with Rocky, we wouldn't have fallen down into this STUPID FREAKIN' MINE SHAFT!! And I wouldn't be sitting here, freezing my arse off, wondering whether or not you and I are gonna die down here! Like I said. Your. Fault!"

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**There you go! I just love a delusional Grace – don't you?? Pretty pretty please review – I'll love you always, promise **

**Em xXxXxxxx**


	11. With You

**Okay, I'll say it now – I am ashamed of how long it has taken me to update. I apologise. This is the last chapter for the story. Thanks to everyone who read each chapter :)**

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"Grace, look at me!" Marcus demanded, taking her hands and wrapping them in his, not allowing her escape.

She looked up at him through her fine eyelashes, a frown on her face. "I'm looking at you, Marcus," she stated sarcastically.

"Now, look around you. You and I aren't in the mine shaft anymore. You're in the hospital because your legs got attacked by fire ants – which you're allergic to, by the way – and you fainted as a reaction. We got out of the mine shaft _days_ ago, Grace!"

"Firstly, I'm not and idiot. I do know that I am allergic to fire ants. Secondly," she paused and then mumbled dumfounded, "oh my god, I feel so _stupid_! What the hell is wrong with me?"

Leaning in, Regan whispered, "you're in love," before smiling approvingly at Marcus and leaving the room, inconspicuously, to give them some well-needed privacy.

Lifting her head to look him straight in the eyes, Grace said beaming, "I'm in love...." and then she kissed him; a sweet, knowing kiss you could only experience with someone who reciprocates your love. She leaned into him and then broke away for a moment so she could add, "....with you."  


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Lying in bed that night, after having a nice cool bath to relieve the itchiness of her legs, Grace snuggled deeper into the mattress, and did not flinch when a pair of large familiar arms wrapped around her waist and took her hands, intertwining them with his own.

"I'm sorry," Grace sighed.

"For what?" Marcus questioned, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"For being delusional," she admitted, and then added sheepishly, "and for accusing you of being a princess-eating dragon who was gnawing away slowly and painfully at my leg."

Marcus was just about to speak but Grace got there first, "_and,_ just to set the record straight, I think you are a very handsome prince charming."

"I forgive you," he said, kissing her temple softly

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**THE END!!!**

**Thanks for sticking around and please leave a review :)**

**Em xXxXxxx**


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